We just got a new dog from a rescue, and her name is Lucy. Not terrible, but not what we would have chosen. She's 1 year old. She's already been well trained (mostly by us), and knows her name well. Between my wife and I, one of us thinks she's too old to change her name and the other doesn't agree.
So who has successfully changed a dog's name, and at what age?
Our dog, Lucy coincidentally, is 9 and knows to come to 9 different names including "dog"
We've done it, Dokata to Lola. Similar enough not to confuse the critter. Worked out fine.
BTW, they know when they're rescued.
At a year old, I think you won't have any trouble. They're not dumb. Just be consistent.
Picture for no particular reason. 
Sweet dog!
The ex and I changed the name of her rescue at 2 yrs old. Started with calling her known name, then the new name, and eventually just the new name. Took maybe a week or two.
First off thanks for rescuing. We've never left our pets with the names they came with and rarely call them by the names we gave them. They figure it out. It's more about your tone than the word you're saying anyway.
In reply to Wayslow:
That's been my thinking. I always come up with a nick name for them, and how is that any different than changing their name? BTW, every one of our dogs has come from a rescue except one, and he was dropped out of a car in our front yard. We lived in the last house on a dead end street and my wife just happened to be looking out the front window. The car pulled up, turned around in our drive, opened the door, plopped him down in our front yard and drove away. He was about a 4 month old Golden Retriever. Cutest thing. We had to keep him. Cody lived 16 years and was a great dog.
In reply to CGLockRacer:
That's a good idea! Thanks!
bravenrace wrote: Picture for no particular reason.
Oooo she's pretty! I love Goldens.
In reply to bravenrace:
We live in the country and we've picked up several dogs who've been dumped. We couldn't keep any of them because we have a full house already but we take them to the Humane Society. We've ended up with some barn cats the same way. Blows my mind how people can do this.
In reply to Wayslow:
Baffles me as well. Especially when there are places like the Humane Society or rescues that will take the animals.
I started speaking Dutch to Bubba. He understands it fine. He is from South Africa, after all.
I got my wife's dog to think his name was "Dammit", does that count?
My rescue dog was found on the street by a friend's mother. Therefore, she came with no name at all.
I named her Elva (because GRM!) and she learned it within a week.
Renamed our cat from Trixy to Leila.
She ignores us now.
She ignored us always.
In reply to PHeller:
Just one more reason why dog's are better than live cats..
We rescued our collie (Charlie) about 8 years ago. We were going to change his name when we got him, but my wife's boss at the time talked us out of it. In hind site that man was an idiot about most things. I'd add the name change to that.
Charlie responds well to his nickname Goofball. He also responds to "Dude" and "What are you doing?"
We got ours from a really nice old man who bought him for his wife as a Christmas gift . . . without asking her. He came with the name "Bossy", which we hated. We went with a name that had a similar tone (Buddy) and he responded to it immediately. He now also answers to "Dingus". Really, the name doesn't mean as much as the tone and the fact that you are looking at them when you say it. They catch on quickly.
Done it plenty of times with dogs 2-5 years old. They learn. Usually we pick the new name, like we had a GSD that we got with the name Gus. We renamed him Jaq. For a few weeks we called him Gus-Jaq, and when he started recognizing that we just went to Jaq and he was fine. Dogs are pretty flexible.
my wife's dog is named jake. he responds to "dicknuts" too
Just do it. They'll figure it out in due time.
Especially when cookies are involved.
We didn't change our rescues name as I plowed a bunch of money into getting him trained after 35 pound dog became 76 pound dog.
On the other hand all I've ever needed to do with my dogs is talk excitedly to them and they respond to anything you call them. The St Bernard liked stupid puppy the best and my Aussie responded to Dingus.
Got a rescue dog (beauceron) and when we got him his name was "Tigger". This dog had been a trained guard dog, he was not a small dog and he had black and tan coloring like a Rotty. When I got him I sat down on the couch with him sitting in front of me and I just started to come up with names. If he didn't react or gave me a "You're and idiot" look I skipped the name. Finally said "Tar" and he barked and put his paw on the couch. So that was his new name.
Yeah, they'll figure it out. Most animals have little more complex hearing circuits than we do,and they've evolved to pick more and different things out of sounds than we do. When dog hears his name, it's usually said with the same type of inflection as the human addresses it specifically to the dog. That inflection is almost as important as the actual word, as subconsciously we'r probably making that inflection slightly different for each animal we address, no matter what we call them. Stay consistent with the new name. Address the dog the same way with the new name as with the old name, and it should be a quick process. Chances are she'll probably retain the old name pretty well, also.
We have five parrots, and each of them has a proper name that hardly ever gets used because we use love of a couple different nicknames for each of them. But there's still very little confusion over who is being addressed no matter what nickname is being used. They all seem to know their slave names pretty well.
What I'd REALLY like to know is what their names are for each other (because it's been confirmed that they have specific names within a flock) and if those names have any relationship to their earth names. Also, since we have a mixed flock (cockatoos and eclectus) I wonder what type of interspecies communication they've developed after years together, or if there already was some similar communication patterns since both species exist on some of the same Indonesian islands.
And anyone that doesn't think inflection is a big deal, spend a little time with a parrot. Even one with a limited vocabulary. While it's pretty easy for them to pick up a basic vocabulary contextually, it's crazy to watch them take the limited words they know and inflect the hell out of them to get a message across. Our bonded cockatoo couple wants to go to bed first every night. So around the same time the male will see us and give us a quick, informational "Good night, kids." which means it's time for his wife to come in from whatever part of the habitat she's in, for them to get their pre-bed treats, hop in their cage and get covered up.
If they, for whatever reason, want to go to bed early—maybe it's overcast and got darker earlier—the "Good night kids?" is clearly delivered as a question rather than as a statement.
And if for some reason we should go into the bird room late at night once everyone is in bed—maybe one of the other birds as up with us watching tv—you will hear absolutely the most passive aggressive "Good NIGHT, kids." delivered in an angry whisper from their covered cage.
So, yeah. Long story short: Animals are awesome with sounds and understand how we use them to communicate almost as well as we do. Don't sweat it.
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